Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Reported as Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Discomfort

Herniated discs have afflicted numerous patients that have been treated in our Tucson office. Fortunately, Dr. Conlee has helped many of them recover swiftly and more completely. Herniated discs, sometime referred to as "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple remedies.

If you are experiencing discomfort because of a herniated disc, then you may be wondering which selection will work best for you. To support you in settling that question, let's inspect two of the most popularly selected therapies: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

A Study Analyses Outcomes from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)

A group of researchers compared 102 individuals, every one of them had chronically herniated discs confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Every person chosen had previously received three months of care through other applicable remedies with no satisfaction.

The pool of patients was divided into two treatment paths. One group of the participants underwent high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic treatments). The remaining half of participants received nerve root injections (epidural).

The conductors of the study saved data regarding the pain levels of every individual before the care given at the time of the research. Subsequently, one month following the receiving of treatment, people in the study rated their disc herniation discomfort on the same scoring system as at the beginning. The change between the two scores was applied to calculate how useful the treatment was for relieving pain.

What did the study uncover in regards to spinal manipulations against epidurals?

More than 76% of the participants who engaged in chiropractic care reported a reduction in their pain. In the other half, not quite 63 percent of the cohorts who were provided epidurals expressed a reduction in discomfort. These scores suggest that chiropractic treatment could possibly be more effective for caring for to reduce herniated disc discomfort.

And, that is not all. Beyond providing a larger amount of people greatly appreciated reduction in pain, researchers also recognized that spinal manipulation was lower in cost. Epidural treatments were roughly $730 per a single individual. Chiropractic treatment was less than $560 for an equal time frame. This type of savings can surely help with your budget. Spending less can make it possible to seek care of your disc herniation pain without extra stress.

If you want a higher likelihood of effectiveness and lower expenses associated with your herniated disc treatment, give Dr. Conlee a call today at (520) 322-6161 to schedule an appointment.

Reference

Peterson, CK et al. (2013, May). Symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed lumbar disk herniation patients: a comparative effectiveness prospective observational study of 2 age-and sex-matched cohorts treated with either high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy or image-guided lumbar nerve root injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 36(4), 218-225, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.005